Method of forming rear axle housings



March 6, '1945.

c. L. DEWEY METHOD OF FORMING REAR AXLE HOUSINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1942 March 6, 1945. Q L DEW 2,370,641

METHOD. OF FORMING REAR AXLE HOUSINGS Filed July 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 cation.

. -UNITED.

STATES raTENT OFFICE METHOD OF FORMING'REAR AXLE I HOUSINGS I Clarence L. Dewey, Elkhart, Ind.

Application July 16, 1942, Serial No. 451,159

I zolaims. (Cl.29--153.1)

The housing of the present invention is designed for use in automobiles or similar vehicles, and in conformity with the customary practice makes provision for the mounting and en-fl closing of the differential gearing and shafting for driving the rear wheels of an automobile or thelike.

The invention is directed to the shaping of the axle housing arms from tubular steel sections which in the main are tapered and otherwise configured in conformity with the method set forth and described in the Dewey patent, No. 2,265,723, issued December 9, 1941, with slight additional fabrication to adapt the sections thus formed for connection with an intermediate banjo? section which may be electrically or otherwise welded or attached to the tubular arms to give to the housing as a whole the required configuration and construction.

By forming the arms in the manner stated,

the arms can be configured as unit sections from a continuous length of tubing and afterwards cut to the required length for additional fabri- By making the arms in this way, the tubingmay be cold worked tomaintain the high physical properties of the steel employed while the method is one which enables the sections to be rapidly and uniformly configured at a minimum of cost and at the same time it imparts the required shaping and wall thickness in such a way as to distribute the metal most advantageously in afiording the required strength and rigidity.

Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing one formsof the'housing o the present invention;

. Fig. 2 a view of the channel section of material which is afterwards bent to circular shape to provide the circumferential wall of the drum- .shaped banjo section;

looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is aview similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of construction;

Fig. 6a is asection'of the channel section of Fig. 2, taken on line Bw-fia;

Fig. 7 view similar to Fig. 3 showing the section of tubing as configured by the Dewey meth- Fig. 8 across sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Fig. '7 looking in the direction of the arrows; I

Fig, 9 sectional view of the tubular "arm of Fig. 7 after final fabrication, and;

Fig. 10 cross sectional view taken on line ill-10 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to .Figs. 1-5 inclusive, the housing as a whole consists of two tubular arms A which are connected by a drum-shaped, intermediate .banjo section B. Each of thearms in'its completed form consist of an inner elliptical neckZl which merges into an outwardly tapering section 22 which progressively approaches circularity and at its outer end merges into a cylindrical necklike bracket section 23 which terminates in a first ofi'set section .24 which in turn merges into a second offsetsection 25 which terminates in an annular end flange 26 giving to the end of the arm a stepped formation. I

The end flange is reinforced by a backing ring :21 spot welded thereto.

The inner neck 2| which is of maximum diameter. is relatively thin-walled, while the wall of the'tapering body 22 progressively'increases in thickness and reaches a maximum thickness at the point of its mergence into the cylindrical bracket section 23 through which the thickened at the-proper points is apertured as indicated in the dot and dash ellipses in Fig. 2 and the surcompletes the housing.

to circular or drum-shaped form and the abutting ends spot welded at the joint 30 which toether with the spot, arc or other welding 2| In configuring the section of'tubing by the the shape shown in Fig. 3 which at this stage is circular throughout with the tubing at the opposite ends 2la-26a of the original relatively thin walled thiclmess. During the shaping operation, the body portion 22a is tapered and the wall thickened down through the bracket section 23a. and then flared and gradually thinned toward the end of the section.

It is desirable to configure a continuous length of tubing to provide a plurality of unit sections of the shape desired, which are thereafter cut to the proper length and each thereafter fabricated to give the resultant shape shown in Fig. 1

The additional fabrication includes a flattening in of the sides of the body and. neck portion of the configured section to give the required elliptical form and an additional spinning or forming to give the stepped or shouldered end formation, after which the unit section as a completed tubular arm is ready to be united with the intermediate banjo section [formed in the manner described.

The tubular arm shown in Figs. 6-10 differs somewhat in its terminal form from that first described but its inner end which unites .with' the banjo section-is identical therewith.

The body section instead of tapering uninterrup tedly as in Fig. 1 is formed to merge'into a straight bracket section 32 which, being a straight cylinder readily permits attaching brackets to be secured to the axle housing ,at this point. The bracket section is connected with an axle mounting neck-like section 33 through a tapered shoulder 34'. The axle mounting section is shouldered or offset at the point 35 and terminates in a flange 3B; The offset 35Qand flange 36 afford a socket mounting for an axle flange 3-! provided with a neck'38whi'ch fits into the offset end of the *arm and is spot welded thereto. The

neck- 38' on itsinterior lies fiush' with the inner wall surface of the axle mounting section and these twoin; conjunction afford a mounting for the inner end of a high-carbon axle stub 39 which is shouldered behind a flange collar 40 i which affords a close contact withthe rim of the neck 38 and the axle" stub is spot welded at 4| to the surrounding axle mounting section. The outer endf42 "of, the axle stub is tapered and provided with threads 43. The arm of Fig. 6 is fabricated in a manner very similar to that heretofore described, in that a section of tubing of uniform wall thickness is formed toprovide end portions Ho, and 36b; of the original-diameter and-minimum wall thickness with the at- I taching end 21a merging into a tapering body section 22a, of increasing wall thickness which terminates ina bracket section 32a of cylindrical formation connected by a shoulder 34a with an axle mounting section", 33aof maximum wall thicknessv which at its outer end; is flared and progressively decreased in wall thickness to merge into the end" section 360,. With the two thus configured, the side walls, are flattenedto the configuration shown in Fig. 9' and the stepped and flanged outer end portion is configured by a suitable spinning or forming operation which completes the arm. in condition toreceiv'e the axle fiange and axle stub.

The device of the form shown in Figs. l-

affords. a mountingfor a shaft which. may be centered within ball or roller bearings. (not shown) which are carried. within the stepped outer endof the arm and'i'n thiswav the drivr Dewey method, a length of tubing of uniform diameter and circular cross section is formed to I otherwise the same.

By forming and fabricating the mounting sections in the manner described and preferably by a cold working process, the natural physical properties of the steel, such as 1010-15 carbon or similar steel are preserved so that the completed structure will possess elements of great strength combined with comparative lightness due to proper distribution of the metal and to variations in wall thickness which advantageously distributes the metal i n such a way as to'afford the necessary resistance to stresses at all points,

and thisis: particularly true in the progressive flattening of the inner portions of the tubular arms to provide an elliptical formation with a maximum vertical diameter which adequately resists the vertical stress of the superposed load.

Iclaimi I, I. The method of making rear axle housing arms for automobiles or the like which consists in first'configuring an integral section of cylindrical tubing of. uniform diameter and wall thick ness by a reducingspinning operation to provide a unit of relatively greater diameter and relatively lesser wall thickness at its cylindrical attaching end andof relatively lesser wall thickness at its cylindrical terminal end and'me'rgingin'to an intervening body portion of tapering formation and increasing wall thickness away from its attaching end andmerging at its outer end into a cylindrical neckeli'ke :se'ction likewise of increase-d wall thickness but of minimum diameter and flared toward its outer end to unite with the "cylindrical terminal "end, thereafter'by a separate operation flattening the walls of I the attaching end and'the' body wall adjacent thereto to give 1 to theattaching end asubstantial'ly elliptical uniform cross section throughout, with-the mergingbody end progressively approaching a like degree of elliptical form, and by a separate operation forming down th'efla-r'ed portion of the necklike section to produce anabruptly stepped formation and configuring the relatively thin walled 'f' terminalendto provide a peripheral flange;

-2; The method-"of'making rear axle housings for automobiles or the like, which consists in forming-a-banjo section from astraight strip of *channel shap'ed metal by forming spaced elliptical apertures therein, displacing the surrounding metal outwardly to provide attaching collars: of substantially elliptical cross section, 'bending'ithe strip to circul-ar'form and uniting the ends, forming two arms in each case by first "configuring. an integral section ot cylindrical tubing 'of uniformvd iameter and wall thicknessby a'zre'duci ng spinning-operation to provide a unit of relatively greater diameter andrelatively lesser wallthi'ckness at its-attaching end and of relatively lesser wallthickness at its cylindrical terminal end and merging into an intervening body sectionof tapering formationlandiincreasing wall thickness. away from its attaching end and mergingatits. outer end into a cylindrical neck-like section likewise of increased wall thickness but like degree of elliptical form, and by a separate operation forming down the flared portion of the neck-like section to produce an abruptly stepped formation and configuring the relatively thin walled terminal end to provide a peripheral flange, and finally socketing together the elliptical attaching ends of the respective arms and the collars of the banjo section and uniting the at- I taching ends rigidly to the collars.

' CLARENCE L. DEWEY. 

